Game 5 Ratings Continue Trend for ABC

Based on fast national ratings, Game 5 of the best-of-seven NBA Finals on ABC – the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics – last night, Sunday, June 15, averaged 17,257,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 21 percent compared to Game 5 in 2006 (there was no Game 5 last year), which averaged 14,318,000 viewers for Dallas at Miami. The Lakers/Celtics game averaged 11,393,000 households, an increase of 13 percent over 10,049,000 households in 2006, and a 10.1 rating, up 11 percent over a 9.1 in 2006. It was the most-watched NBA Finals Game since Game 7 of 2005 (18,997,000 viewers).

Through five broadcasts, the 2008 NBA Finals are averaging a 9.0 rating, up 45 percent over the four-game series last year (6.2).

Los Angeles avoided elimination with a 103-98 victory that sends the series back to Boston for Game 6 with the Celtics leading 3-2 on ABC tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17 Coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. with GMC NBA Countdown at 8:30 p.m. The games are also heard nationally on ESPN Radio.

For the fifth consecutive broadcast, the NBA Finals sparked ABC to “win the night” among all television networks. The NBA Finals averaged more homes and viewers than any other show, with ABC winning primetime overall among all networks. Game 5 was the most-watched program on television since the season finale of American Idol (May 21). Excluding the Academy Awards evenings, ABC garnered its highest Sunday numbers across key male demographics in more than two years (best since February 6, 2006 (Super Bowl XL) in Men 18-34; and best since March 12, 2006 in Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.

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Random Quote

Belichick will not be so lucky. He doesn’t have (Jimmy) Johnson’s personality, which can be as jovial and charming as a snake oil salesman’s. Worse, this Patriot team isn’t going to win two Super Bowls any time soon…

— Ron Borges, Boston Globe 11/22/01

Angry Old Bastard

….how can this be??…no CHILDREN CAN WATCH THE GAME!!…that’s what Dennis and Callahan keep screaming at me every morning….If the CHILDREN CAN’T WATCH THE GAMES how the hell can the ratings be this high?…..oh those poor children, they will be scarred for life….

Doc Michaels

But they’re not getting double-digits…people said if the NBA couldn’t do at least a 10.0 for this particular series then the league has absolutely lost some of its appeal. Which obviously it has, and which we already knew.

Lance

ABC is its own enemy. They’re advertising their shows like crazy during the games and all it does is make me thankful I’ve got cable.

Lesson? Don’t promote bad programming, it backfires and ABC’s one original idea is being lost somewhere in there.